McIlroy takes historic six-shot Masters lead into weekend

Rory McIlroy seized a commanding six-stroke lead at the Masters on Friday to leave a leaderboard packed with major title winners looking up at the defending champion as the tournament reached the halfway point.

McIlroy is 12-under par heading into the weekend with Americans Sam Burns and Patrick Reed tied for second at six under and Englishman Justin Rose, Ireland’s Shane Lowry and Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood one further adrift.

McIlroy came out all guns blazing and finished in spectacular fashion.

He birdied six of his final seven holes and brought out a huge roar from the patrons when he chipped in at 17, holding his club aloft in an electrifying scene.

“It was tricky. It was up and over,” he said.

“I couldn’t see the bottom of the flag, so all I saw were the patrons standing up on the grandstand like it had a chance, and it went in.”

Another birdie on the last delivered McIlroy the biggest 36-hole lead in Masters history on a sun-drenched day at Augusta National.

“I’ve always felt like this golf course can let you get on runs if you allow it,” he told reporters.

McIlroy said the burden of expectation has eased since last year’s victory, which completed the career Grand Slam, and the five-time major winner is playing with a freedom that had often eluded him in previous appearances at Augusta.

“Over the years on this golf course, sometimes my mindset hasn’t been to keep swinging,” he said.

“It’s been guided, tentative. I think the experience I’ve accrued over the years and obviously with what happened last year, it makes it a bit easier out there to keep swinging.”

PREP PAYS OFF

McIlroy, making his 18th Masters start, said extra preparation had also made a difference.

“I’ve spent a lot of time up here over the past three weeks,” he said. “Even though I haven’t played tournament golf, I feel like being up here a lot and playing, I’ve prepared as well for this Masters as any other that I’ve played.

“I think all that work around the greens over the last three weeks has certainly paid off over the last two days.”

Despite his dominant position, McIlroy said experience had taught him not to look too far ahead at Augusta National, where he infamously squandered a four-shot lead in the final round in 2011.

“I know what can happen around here, good and bad,” he said.

“You don’t have to remind me not to get ahead of myself around this place. We reset, and everybody goes back to even par tomorrow.”

BURNS AND REED SIX BACK

Overnight co-leader Burns birdied three of his last four holes and will be paired with McIlroy over the weekend.

Reed, who left the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit when his contract expired in January, kept the pressure on McIlroy in his round of three-under 69 but a missed putt leading to a bogey on the 18th cost him his place in the final pairing.

Three-time Masters runner-up Rose, former Open champion Lowry and Fleetwood all carded 69s on Friday.

World number one Scottie Scheffler, who had not played competitively since mid-March, was never able to find his rhythm.

The American missed a short putt on the par-four fifth to card a second straight bogey. He missed an eagle putt on the par-five eighth, a hole the two-times Masters champion has feasted on in the past, and in the end mixed two birdies with four bogeys for a round of two-over to head into the weekend at even par.

McIlroy will now look to become only the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters titles, and the first since Tiger Woods in 2002.

Among the notable players to miss the cut were Bryson DeChambeau, whose triple-bogey at the last cost him a place at the weekend, Cameron Smith and J.J. Spaun.